Too Much Coffee: Shrinks Your Brain; Increase Dementia Risk

More than a billion people drink coffee to help jumpstart your workday and sharpen their minds. But a new shocking scientific study shows that drinking a lot of coffee could increase the risk of your brain shrinking by as much as 53% and increasing your risk of developing dementia.

According to a study conducted by the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, the largest scientific study of its kind is based on 17,702 participants aged 30 to 37. This shows that drinking too much coffee could lead to serious health issues.

Kitty Pham, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Australia, who led the team of international researchers, says drinking six or more cups a day was has been linked to a 53% increased risk of dementia and makes suffering a stroke more likely, too. Brain imaging reveals that drinking many coffees was also associated with brain shrinkage, say, scientists.

The new study includes a statement by Dr. Pham in which she suggests…

“Coffee is among the most popular drinks in the world. Yet with global consumption being more than nine billion kilograms a year, we must understand any potential health implications,”

“This is the most extensive investigation into the connections between coffee, brain volume measurements, the risks of dementia, and the risks of stroke – it’s also the largest study to consider volumetric brain imaging data and a wide range of confounding factors.”

“Accounting for all possible permutations, we consistently found that higher coffee consumption was significantly associated with reduced brain volume. “Essentially, drinking more than six cups of coffee a day may be putting you at risk of brain diseases such as dementia and stroke.”

Researchers suggest… Drinking water alongside each cup of coffee you consume.

Dementia is a degenerative brain condition that affects memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday tasks. About 50 million people are diagnosed with the disorder worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 5 million senior Americans have dementia. That figure is expected to balloon to 14 million by 2060, the agency predicts.

During a recent interview, senior investigator Elina Hyppönen, director of the Australian Centre for Precision Health, was quoted as saying…

“This research provides vital insights about heavy coffee consumption and brain health, but as with many things in life, moderation is the key. Together with other genetic evidence and a randomized controlled trial, these data strongly suggest that high coffee consumption can adversely affect brain health. While the exact mechanisms are not known, one simple thing we can do is to keep hydrated and remember to drink a bit of water alongside that cup of coffee.”

“Typical daily coffee consumption is somewhere between one and two standard cups of coffee. Of course, while unit measures can vary, a couple of cups of coffee a day is generally fine. However, if you’re finding that your coffee consumption is heading up toward more than six cups a day, it’s about time you rethink your next drink.”

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